Pilotwings

Game Summary

Join the Flight Club to take to the skies and experience a variety of aerial activities. Take off and pilot a biplane through rings along a predetermined flight path, or drift serenely in a hang glider, catching thermal currents to gain altitude. In either case, just be sure to stick the landing. Looking for more speed? Strap on the rocket belt to blast your way around an obstacle course. If that

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You've heard by now that the 3DS will be coming to the United States on March 27 for $250. That's great, with some pretty fantastic titles on the way. However, some neat information has been leaked about this handheld, and a lot of it is pretty nifty.Â
3DS Friend Codes are on their way. However, unlike the Wii or DS titles, this code is locked to the system (and maybe a profile?), so once you become friends with someone, you don't have to enter a new one for each game. It's even better if you're physically next to someone, as you can "bump" your friend code information. So. Easy. Additionally, the 3DS can multitask, allowing players to send games and applications into stand-by while they search the web, take notes, or--excitedly--see what friends are online and what games they are playing. It might not be Xbox Live, but it's a step in the right direction.
Twenty-three titles will be out by June. Some of these are big name titles, like nintendogs + cats, Pilotwings Resort, and Dead or Alive: Dimensions, and some of them are kind of lame. What the heck is a CRUSH 3D? Unfortunately, big name franchise titles like Ocarina of Time, Paper Mario, and a Metroid title are not here.Â
Interestingly, it looks like there is an Other M stage in DoA: Dimensions, and there is a good chance Samus is a fighter. Don't believe me?Â Check it out here.
DSiWare titles are transferable. This one is something everyone is thinking about with WiiWare too. When a new console comes around, what happens to the downloadable games purchased? Nintendo doesn't have a unified account system yet. Thankfully, Nintendo has gone on the record saying DSiWare titles will be transferable, and while they didn't say how (I bet it's through an SD card, which the DSi has a slot for). It's not a perfect system, but hopefully once titles are locked down, they will be tied to an account. Unfortunately, it'll be coming after the system launch.
The 3DS is region locked. A major bummer, I know, but Nintendo claims this is to implement parental controls. Booo.
All in all, there's some cool details about the device. The price is pretty high, but I've got to be real, the 3D effect is amazing. For me, $250 is a steal. March 27 can't come quickly enough.
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Ever since I saw the 3DS at E3 2010, I have been buzzing with anticipation for the handheld. Seriously, the device does exactly as it promises, which in itself is an amazing achievement. I'm so excited, that at the age of 23, I'm saving up my pocket change to have enough to buy the device at launch. I'll be lucky if I can afford a game as well.
Unfortunately, while we still wait for a North American release date, the Japanese can look forward to a February 26 launch date. Even worse, Nintendo has this semi-annual event called Nintendo World, a Japan-only event where they show off the latest games and hardware. Rubbing salt in the wound, Nintendo is showing off over 30 brand new 3D titles! Sure, only 15 of them are actually playable, and the others are just demos, that's a ton of content to let people play for a fresh console. However, trust me, this thing is hot, and knowing that Nintendo fans in Japan will get to play with these games before we even get a release date is a major drag. Mostly for me.
Looking over this list, I do have to say that Paper Mario is the title that most excites me, with the 3D version of Metal Gear Solid 3 and Nintendogs + cats not far off. Of course, the 3D version of Ocarina of Time could be a goodie too. There are so many awesome sounding games! And I can't be the only one to notice that Pokemon Black and White is coming out not long after the rumored March 3DS launch, so maybe there will be some 3DS support inside? And what 3DS games are you excited about?
The full demo list is after the jump
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It seems as if every console generation produces a single break-out character that other developers and publishers chase with me-too clones.Â The Nintendo Entertainment System years produced one of gaming's biggest stars - Super Mario himself - that led to a glut of friendly, happy mascot-based action platformers.Â Sega's take on the format for the Sega Genesis, Sonic the Hedgehog, added radical attitude traits to the formula, and suddenly every publisher had to have a mascot cartoon character with attitude.Â The 16-bit years gave us plenty of forgotten and also-ran characters in that style such as Bubsy the Bobcat, Awesome Possum, and Rocky Rodent, but the one character who stood out from the pack - and, strangely enough, one character who was never intended to run with that pack in the first place - Â was Sunsoft's Aero the Acro-Bat.Â Aero's journey brought him some success across multiple platforms and eventual re-releases with sequels and spin-off adventures.Â When stacked against the competition chasing Sonic's speedy shoes, Aero managed to creatively succeed in an otherwise overcrowded marketplace.
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Star WarsÂ games throughout the years are golden examples of some of the absolute best licensed games ever made, as well as some of the worst. Over the next couple of weeks, we're going to take a look at some of the lesser known golden classics in the franchise, as well as some of the lesser known disasters that have befallen the franchise.
The period between Fall 1983 and Summer of 1997 was generally considered to be a dark time forÂ Star WarsÂ fans.Â Return of the JediÂ was released May 25, 1983. I was born a year later and never grew to fully appreciate the film franchise until years later when the THX remasters were re-released on VHS and then back to theaters in 1997. At that point, I became a borderline religious fanatic. I had so many toys lying around the house that you couldn't get into my room...in fact, I still can't. Damn you, Kenner!
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Helicopters tend to get a bad rap in video games. As we're long removed from the days of Pilotwings and Desert Strike the ol' rotorcraft have been often overlooked in favor of high-speed fighter jets, or more often, as end-level bosses in first-person shooters.
Well, Activision wants to change all that with Apache: Air Assault Developed by the minds at Gaijin Entertainment behind the critically-acclaimed IL-2 Sturmovik: Birds of Prey (and the incredibly horrid X-Blades, but let's forget that one), the game hopes to erase all of the misconceptions behind helicopters.
But will it make you want to GET TO THE CHOPPA? Find out after the cut. Read More

It was announced before the show, but we still weren't really sure what to expect. By the time the Nintendo press conference was over and we got our hands on the device -- like everyone else -- we were blown away.
The 3D really works and doesn't require glasses or any other kind of trick. On the right side of the unit is a "slider" which allows the player to control the intensity of the 3D. When the slider is turned all the way down the game downgrades to 2D, slide it back up and it reverts to 3D.
Click the jump for a bullet pointed run down on all of the 3DS information. Read More

Excitement is high for Nintendo's new handheld following their spectacular E3 press conference. The Nintendo 3DS looks set to be the next big thing in portable entertainment, particularly with a lineup of games like there has been confirmed so far.
It's pretty strong. Hit the jump for more. Read More

It has been a little while since we last heard from TheWon's "Do U Wii," which was last seen in a two-part Christmas Shopping Showcase last month just before the holidays. But now he's back, to wrap up not only the rest of December 2009, but give us the lowdown on January 2010's Wii offerings as well.
Part of the reason for the delay is that TheWon was upgrading his computer and editing tools; as a result, you can now view the following edition of Do U Wii in 360p, 480p, or 720p. And now, without further ado:
I believe it was our own Daniel Sims who recommended The Sky Crawlers: Innocent Aces to me not that long ago, but I've not had the chance (nor the money) to check that (or anything else) out yet. Seems like it definitely fills a niche in the Wii lineup that people have been asking for, though I think they expected Pilotwings or Star Fox to get there first.
And of course, No More Heroes 2 and Tatsunoko vs. Capcom just had to round things off. Read More

This week, I've decided to cast aside "My Games This Weekend." Given that the point of it was to stir conversation (via the comments) about what your games are this weekend as well, it just doesn't seem to be doing its job. So, we're moving on to something different.
Last year was a bit rough for me. I suffered a leg injury early in the year which kept me off my feet (and away from E3) for the first half of 2009. Between that, my hours here, and the fact I have an aversion to going outside very often in the Wintertime (for related reasons), I have gotten a little out of shape (cue laughter at "a little").
As such, I've made a New Year's Resolution; nothing so bold as to become a new man in twelve months, but at least to kind of "balance" things out and re-strengthen my leg. And the vehicle to help me reach this goal?
This should probably come as little surprise. My wife watched the above ad Nintendo just released and noted "I've never heard a female announcer for a video game commercial before," and "this was designed specifically to piss off hardcore gamers, I can tell."
Anyway, I began playing the game earlier this week, and some of my thoughts so far are after the cut. Read More

Hmm, what to play this weekend... I just don't know. There's certainly not a lack of things to choose from.
Most likely, I'll try to finish up Donkey Kong '94, and hopefully get closer to finishing Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story. Then there is plenty left to unlock in the original Super Smash Bros., and I could use some more practice in Pilotwings.
There is still plenty left for me to find in Wario Land: Shake It! and to kill in Resident Evil: The Darkside Chronicles as well, plus Metroid Prime Trilogy. And since I've learned of the stage select feature for Castlevania: The Adventure ReBirth (hold right for a few seconds on "Start Game" on the title screen), I may give that another go as well.
So, those are the games I'm looking at this weekend. What are your games?
[Image courtesy of Super Mario Wiki] Read More